details relating to the American gentleman, his ring, and his departure for the States. Should we hear from New York that he has not returned, why of course, in spite of appearances at the House by the Lock and failure of circumstantial evidence, suspicion will be renewed again." 165 There was absolutely nothing more to be said. Deep as was my chagrin, I held my tongue as to my opinion of the way affairs had been managed, and parted with the young detective with apparent nonchalance. Naturally, I slept little during the night, and was awake even before the early knock which sounded at my door. "Two cablegrams for you, sir," said the waiter, when I had bidden him come in. 166CHAPTER XVIIIA Desperate Remedy 166 A Desperate Remedy I took the envelopes from the man and told him he might go. Now for it! I thought. Now to see whether the edifice I had builded had but a foundation of sand, or whether Wildred had merely been clever enough to pull wool over the eyes of the police. My heart was thumping with excitement as I opened the first envelope. "St. Paul in to-night. First-class passenger on board named Harvey Farnham." I laid the bit of paper down dazedly and took up the other. It was from the manager of the Fifth Avenue Hotel, in New York. "Mr. Farnham telegraphed to keep room for him. Is spending day or two with friends." I did not know what to think. It all sounded straightforward enough, and it was not credible that either the official in the office of the 167 American liners, or the manager of an hotel, could be in collusion with Carson Wildred. Still, I was far from being satisfied. 167 For the moment I had done all that I could do. If Farnham was stopping with a friend, whose address was unknown to me, I could not at present expect to receive an answer either to my New York or Denver cable. In a day or two the
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